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.Look how bright and airy it is! It s arest-cure, that s what it is, believe me.Tell me would you like to havesome refreshments brought up? Or would you rather have a wash first? Well, we haven t said our morning prayers yet, Reb Avram Berspoke up for the first time. Haven t you really? Allow me to inform you then, that you couldn thave chosen a better time for your arrival, because we re just about tohold our morning service. Do you mean to tell me that you have sufficient Jews here to makeup a full congregation? Reb Avram Ber gasped in utter astonishment.THE DANCE OF THE DEMONS 201 Exactly, said Herr Berger. In this hotel you will find everything youwant.If it s a full congregation you re looking for no need to lookany further, here it is.And what a congregation! Believe me, when yousee the type of guests I have staying in my hotel, you ll be surprised.Some of them are rabbis (God bless them!), and as for the rest, I haveno reason to be ashamed of them either (God forbid!), not a bit. Reb Avram Ber rubbed his hands with deep satisfaction. Oh, God! he rejoiced. What a wonderful race Thy Jews are! Onefinds them everywhere, everywhere.And even in these foreign parts,there are Jews we can be proud of, upright and godfearing, heenthused over his new-found friends, friends whom he had not evenmet yet.The sight of a hassidic Jew like Reb Haim in the modern styleof dress was very reassuring and reminded him of all that Reb Zalmanhad said about the bridegroom.A Gentile maid, blonde and rosy-cheeked, with a powerful bosomwhich was quite cramped within her tight bodice and which at everybreath strained upwards as though eager to gain its freedom, conductedthe womenfolk to the bathroom, where she initiated them in the use ofthe hot and cold water taps, and after having made certain that herservices were no longer required, she went tripping down the stairs,whistling cheerfully.Reb Avram Ber and Reb Baruch Laib took breakfast with HerrBerger s ten rabbis (God bless them! although ten was rather an exag-gerated figure) and with the rest of the guests, of whom Herr Bergerhad no reason to be ashamed (God forbid!) They opened a bottle,drank to each other s health and treated each other to a great manybenedictions.The new friends were promptly invited to attend thewedding, and the invitation was as promptly accepted by one and all.Before long it came to light that one of the rabbis, a skinny little oldman with a straggly goatee, was one of Reb Avram Ber s long-lost, dis-tant relations.And there was great and prolonged rejoicing.Deborah felt quite carefree, even buoyant.Ever since she had setfoot in Berlin, her constant gloom and despair had given way to uttercalm.It was all very odd, but she had no particular wish to find outwhy all that mattered to her was the fact that she had at last foundpeace of mind.She now had only one interest in life, and that was todiscover who dwelt in that curious house across the road with thewhite, motionless, starched curtains.What sort of people were they,202 ESTHER SINGER KREITMAN were they a large family or a small family, Jews or Gentiles? She had awash and a change of clothes, and with her hair neatly combed, shestood at the window waiting patiently to catch a glimpse beyond thoseelegant curtains, as if the knowledge she hoped to glean thus was ofvital importance to her, as if it were indeed the sole object of her visit.The maid was clearing away the breakfast things.Deborah was pleas-antly aware of this.It was so good to be waited on, and to be free,utterly free.Now here she could stand without lifting a finger, and shecould leave everything in the capable hands of the maid.It was charm-ing, the maid was charming, and hopefully, Deborah kept gazing outof the window.The nonarrival of the bridegroom was the cause of some anxiety andsurprise.He was due to get in by the early morning train fromAntwerp, but the family consoled themselves with the reflection thatthere might have been a delay en route.The only person who showedcomplete indifference was the bride.She was in a state of perfect apa-thy.If the house had suddenly come tumbling down, it would scarcelyhave disturbed her.Such complete calm, such wonderful serenity hadnever been hers before; she felt as if she had been born again, remem-bering nothing of the past and caring nothing for her future.Her in-laws, her parents, they all kept talking and brooding and wonderingwhat had happened.Not so for Deborah.She neither talked norbrooded, nor wondered: would he come, would he not come, whattype of man was he, how was he going to impress her and how wouldshe impress him? Not a thing did she worry about
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